Approach for track-scales



L. R. ROSEBROOK.

APPROACH FOR TRACK SCALES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25.-I920.

Patented IIIIIy17Y,1921.A

//v VENTO/'9.' LRRUSEBR 00K fipi STTES LUCI'US R. ROSEBROOK, OF OSKALOOSA, IOWA.

APPROACH ron TRACK-scams.

retenes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented May i7, 1921.

Application filed August 25, 1920.A Serial No. 405,893.

T 0 all whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, LUcrUs R. Rosnnnoon, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of 0skaloosa, Mahaska county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Approach for Track-Scales, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved approach for track scalesl designed to prevent sudden shocks and jars to the scalemechanism through the advent of cars to the scale tracks.

A further object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive and efficient means for transferring the weight of railwaycars from track rails to scale rails, and avoiding shock and damage to the scale mechanism.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanyingv drawing, in which-` Figure 1 is a plan illustrating a portion of a track rail, scale rail, guard rail and approach member embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same members, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on the line 3-3, and Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sections on the lines 4 4; and 5--5 respectively, of Fig. l, on an enlarged scale.

In the construction of the devices as shown the numeral 10 designates aportion of a scale platform, with which are associated suitableweighing devices,not shown, for use in weighing railway rolling stock. On the platform 10 are mounted scale rails 11, one of which4 is shown, in alinement with but preferably slightly spaced from track rails 12, of a railway track, carried by cross ties 13 in the'usual manner. A guard rail 14 is mounted on and carried by the ties 13 'and y spaced inwardly a short distance'from the track rail 12, and said guard rail terminates short of the joint between said trackrail and the scale rail 11 and between the two ties nearest the scale.' A bed or foundation 15 of concretek preferably underlies the two ties 13 nearest the scale. A plate 16, formed of spring steel, has one end portion mounted beneath the guard rail 111 and extends parallel with the track rail 12 and scale rail 11, the central vportion of said plate being substantially coincident with the joint between v said rails so that approximately one-half of said plate overlies, loosely, the scale platform l0. The outer end portion of the plate 16 is secured rigidly by means of anchor bolts 17 which pass through the second tie 13 from the scale and into the foundation 15, where they are connected by an anchor plate 18. The plate 16 overlies loosely but is 'not se cured to the tie 13 next the scale, and overlies but is not secured to the scale platform. An approach. or bridge member 19 overlies and is secured by bolts 20 to that portion of the spring plate 16 which lies beyond the guard rail 141,'andis parallel with and in close contact with the inner sides of the track rail 12 andscale rail 11, crossing the jointv between said rails. A portion of the approach or bridge membery 19 may overlie the inner base flanges of the track and scale rails, so that the outer face of said member may be in close contact with the-balls of said rails. The inner face of the approach'or bridge member 19, relatively to the median line of, l

the track, preferably is inclined,"so that said" member is materially wider at its base than at its top. The approach or bridge memberV 19 is formed with aninner lip .21, the top of which is in a' straight line at ahigher elevation than the top of the rails 11, 12A; and with an outerV lin 22, the top of which isv on an arc rising at its central and highest point to approximately the center of the ball of the rail 11.- It shouldbe noted in this. connection that the central point of the bridge or approach member 19 is beyond the joint between the rails 11, 12, the greater portion of said member overhansring the scale platform. Between the lipsV 21, 22 the approach or bridge member 19 is formedwith a liangeway-or groove 23 which is also on a convex arc substantially concentric with the arc formed by the top of the outer lip, as'

indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The

groove or flangeway 23` extends from end to end of the approach or bridge member 'and `is'adapted to receive the flange of a railway carWheeI, such as 24. End portions ofthe iiangeway or groove23 are sufficiently low that a car wheelis carried on the rails, 11

or 12, in the usual manner, theface ofthe wheel resting on the ball of the rail; but the curvature and-rise of such flangeway is suoli that in its central portion a flange of a carv wheel contacts the approach member and the wheel is lifted from the adjacent rail,

which is the' scale rail 11'; and infact such. transfer of thecar wheel is effected before it reaches the joint beween'thev rails 11, 12, so that the weight of the load is transferred from the track rail to the approach member and from it' to the scale rail. As the car wheel moves along the approach member the spring plate 16 yields and presses downwardly upon the scale platferm and gradually lowers said platform7 so that by the time the flange of the wheel has passed to the downwardly inclined portion of the flangeway and the wheel comes into contactwith the scale rail, said platform, and the weighl ing devices have been depressedy to their full Y extent and are in weighing position, relative 'VloraceY bar 25 is provided and is fixed by the bolts i 2 0 at the outer end of each approachl or bridge member, forming a bracing connection between the two bridge members at opposite sides of each end of the scale i platform. This preserves the proper alinesoV ment and spacing of the approach members and also divides the shock between the two membersso connected. v`

I claim as my invention- V1. approach for railway track scales, comprising a spring plate anchored adjacent to'and having one end portion loosely overhanging i the Y scale platform, and a bridge inembermounted on and secured to the overhanging portion of said plate, said bridge member being adjacent to the inner side of a scale rail on said platform and eX- tending beyond the yend of said rail, said bridge member being formed with a grooved flangeway parallel with the scale rail adaptedto receive flanges of car wheels.

2.' An approach for railway track scales, comprising a spring plate anchored adjacent to and having one endv portion loosely v overhanging the scale platform, and a bridge'member mounted on and secured to the overhang-ing portion of said plate, said bridgey member' being` in contact with the Y,inner sidefofa scale rail on Ysaid platform @ed ,extending bevond vthe eld 0f Said rail, said bridge *member being formed with a grooved H angeway parallel with the scale rail adapted to receive flanges of car wheels, said flangeway being convexly arcuate and of abe-ight opposite the end of said scale rail to raisethe face of a car wheel clear of Seidralff 3.' approach for railway track scales, seinrislis a Spring plate anhored at .011e sed.- aber# @lista-.1re fren the Sdale platform, extending-.lo ely-.overa rigid member-f t'sad r atterra- 'and terriens Y thereof.

other end portion overlying loosely the end portion of said platform, and a bridge member mounted on and secured to said plate l `vand extending from a point adjacent said rigid member substantially throughout the end of a scale rail on said platform but first contacts said rail at a distance from the end rails at points spaced from said joints, and

loosely overlying end portions of said platform adjacent the scale rails, said bridge :membersbeing formed with convex flangeways adapted to receive the flange of a car wheel, said flangeways being so arranged that car wheels are elevated from the track rails and carried by said bridge members across vthe joints between said track rails and the scale rails and are lowered gradually into contact with said scale rails at points spaced from said joints, said spring plates permitting a downward yielding of said bridge members and a downward movement of the scale platform under a load.

5. An approach for track scales, comprising, in combination with track rails and scale rails alining therewith and carried by a scale platform, bridge members mounted adjacent the inner faces of said track and scale rails and crossing the joints therebetween, said bridge members being anchored at the ends adjacent the track rails and overlianging the scale platform adjacent the scale rails, said bridge members being formed with convex llangeways adapted to receive the flanges of car wheels, said flange ways being so arranged that car wheels are elevated from thetrack rails and carried by said bridge members across the joints between said track and scale rails and are lown ered into contact with said scale rails at points spaced from said-joints, and av tie member rigidly securing said bridge members together at points adjacent said oints.

6. An approach for track scales, comprising, in combination with track rails supported by spaced cross ties and scale rails alining with said track rails and supported by a scale platform, spring plates mounted adjacent said track and scale rails and crossing the joint therebetween, said plates being anchored to the,l second cross tie from said plat-ferm .and @Pessina leesely the vCrass tie.

next said platform and loesely overlying scales, comsaid platform, and bridge members mounted on and Xed to said plates, said bridge members being adapted to receive flanges of car Wheels and elevate the same so that said Wheels clear the terminal end portions of said track rails and Vinitial end portions of said scale rails and permit said Wheels to contact said scale rails at points spaced from said joints.

7. In an approach for track scales, a

v bridge member suitably mounted adjacent the initial end of a scale rail and extending beyond the end thereof, said bridge member being formed With a straight side in contact with said scale rail and With its opposite side inclined, said bridge member being formed With a conveX ilangeway eX- tending from end to end thereof parallel with said scale rail.

Signed at Oskaloosa, in the county of Mahaska and State of Iowa, this 26 da)7 of July, 1920.

LUCIUS R. ROSEBROOK. 

